Storage battery



Jan. 3, 1928.

(2. E. SCHLOSSNAGEL STORAGE BATTERY,

Filed Jan. 29. 1927 III Patented .lan. 3, .1928.

came. scH os snAGE or swIs svALn,

House UNION BATTERY COMPAN or swrssvenn,

TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To WESTING- STORAGE BATTERY."

Application filed .l'anuary29; 1927. Serial-No. 164,577.

tional view, similar to Fig. 2, of a modified form of vent plug also embodying my invention. Fig; 4 is a plan view of a detail of the plug shown in Figs. 1. 2 and 3.-

Similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts ineach of thefour views.

Referring first tov Fig; 2, the reference character 1 designates thecover of a storage battery. This cover has. a'filling opening surrounded by, an Y upstanding flange 2 formed integrally therewith. On the inside ot -the .fiange .2 is an annular bead 3, provided with two diametrically spaced notches (not shown in the drawing) of the type employed in the usual bayonet fastening. The flange also has a bevelled'portion 2? near the top thereof. Associated with the filling opening is a vent plug designated generally by the reference character (1. This plug is of" tubular shape andis provided. with an annular bead 4 having a plurality of wings 5 which serve as handles for the plug. The wall 7 of the plug- C has two oppositely placed projecting lugs 6 which are arranged to co-operate with the notches in the bead 3, for the purpose of locking the plug in the opening. Thewall 7 also has an annular groove 7 for holding a gasket 8. WVhen the plug C is inserted in the opening'andforced downward so that the lugs 6 pass through the notches in head 3, theprojecting corner of gasket 8 engages the bevelled portion 2 of the flange 2, and when the plug is rotated the lugs 6 engage the under side of the bead 3 and draw the plug C downward, deforming the gasket 8.

and producing an acid-tight seal between the plug and the wall. The bevelled surface 2 provides a single line of contact between the gasket 8 and the flange 2, so that the open ing may be sealed with much less vertical pressure thanwould be theecase f a fig; 1

Fig. 2 is a sec-- face. contact were provided between the gasket and'the flange. V

. During the charging of the battery, gas is generated. and this gas is usuall allowed to es'capethrou'gh a small hole 1111316 middle of the vent plug. This gas contains acid vapor which .oftencondenses an: top otthe PENNSYLVANIA; a CORPORA- battery and causes corrosion of the'm etal" parts. Ordinarily some of this" yapor condens-es at the'bottom of the. vent hole and-* forms a'bubble which closes the hole. When this takes place the continued formation of gas in the battery produces a gas. pressure; which eventually becomes great enough-' to break the bubble, and in so doing forces the acid outward in a fine spray over the top of the battery. In order to prevent this occurrence I provide the plug C with'an inwardly extending frusto-conical projection havingaa substantially flat portion 12 and a bevelled side portion 12 Passing through the plug and terminating in the bevelled side portion 12 are a plurality (here shown as-t'our) of spaced vent'openings 13 whichfprovid'e' an escape for the gases generated in the battery. Any vapor which condenses on the inside of the plug will tend to'run down thebevelled portion 12- andto collect on the fiat .portion' 12 away from the openings 13 so that gas may escape without spraying-acid over the battery. It is also desirablev that all the" gases generated in. the battery be allowed to escape, and in order to facilitatethis escape and prevent gas from being trapped above the lower level of the vent plug where it cannot pass out through the vent openings in the plug, small openings 16 are made in,

the side wall 7 of the plug below the bottom of the gasket 8. With this arrangement the gas which collectsin the space above the bottom of the plug between the, side wall 7 and the flange 2 may pass through the openings 16 to the inside of the plug and then out through they openings 13, thus insuring that no gas pockets are formed in the bat tery.

In order to prevent the escape of acid from the openings 13 when the battery is subjected to severe vibration the usual baflie plate 9 of'acid resistant material is mounted in the lower part of the plug C. An .annu-- lar groove 11 is provided on'the inside sur-' face of the plug for holding the plate in place. hen the plate is sprung into the groove, notches 10 provide openings through which the gases generated in the battery may escape, but these openings are of such size that they prevent the escape ot any appreciableamount of acid from the battery. "j'ihe vent plug shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the arrangement of the gasket 8 and the bevelled surface with which it co-operates is reversed, the bevelled surface being on the plug.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the flange 2 around the filling opening is provided with a groove 1% in which the gasket 8 is mounted so that the. inner surfaceof the gasket is substantially flush with the inside of the flange. The plug C is similar to plug G except that it is provided with a bevelled surface 15 below the bead l, and this surface is arranged to engage the gasket 8 when the plug is inserted in the opening and locked in place. It will be seen that this arrangement provides a single line of contact between the gasket andthe plug, providing a simple and effective seal.

It will now be clear that a vent plug made according to my invention, not only prevents the spraying of acid over the top of the battery and atlords an escape for all gases in the battery, but also provides a seal which may be made effective by the exertion ot a relatively small pressure on the plug, even in the case of large. plugs such as are used in large power batteries.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of vent plugs em bodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I cla m is: r

1. In combination, a storage battery cover having an opening therein, an upstanding I flanged plug arranged to fit in said opening, a sealing gasket associated with said plug, and means "for securing saidplug in said open1ng,whereby a. single line of con.-

tact between'an outside edge of saidgasket and said bevelled surface is secured.

3. In combination, a storagebattery cover member having a circular opening therein, a flange integral with'said cover member and surrounding said opening, a hollow plug member for closing said opening, one of said members having a bevelled contact surface, a yieldable gasket carried by the other of said members and one edge of which engages said bevelled surface, and means "for s curing said members together, wherebysaid gasket forced againstsaid bevelled surface to seal said opening.

a. In combination, a substantially flat storage battery c-over having' an opening therein, a flange surrounding said opening and having a bevel-ledsinner surface, a hel low vent plug arranged to fit in said open,

ing and having a pluralityotspaced openings therethrough, a gasket associated with said plug, and means torllorcmg an outside edge of said gasket against said bevelledsur-f facewhenthe plug is ing. 7

In testimony whereof I aflixniy signature.

CARL n, SCI-ILOSSNAGEL;

inserted in said open 

